Data from the National Association for College Admission Counseling show there is a powerful tool students can use to improve their admission chances: demonstrated interest. How can social media play a part?
Social media makes it easier than ever to connect with colleges and their representatives. You can follow them on Twitter, friend them on Facebook, connect with them on LinkedIn, and follow their Pinterest and Instagram accounts. Demonstrate genuine interest and contribute to the conversations; but don’t flood their accounts with replies and questions. In this case, less is more.
When application decision time rolls around you should have established yourself as an interested candidate. College admissions officers should be able to look at their records and see that you demonstrated interest. Some will remember your face, look back on your interview and be able to recall any conversations they had with you during the admissions process. You will trump anyone who hasn’t expressed interest and was simply a casual shopper.
Here’s how you can leverage specific social media accounts and use them to communicate with colleges:
If you haven’t set up a LinkedIn account yet, it’s time to jump on the bandwagon. According to a recent article on LinkedIn, LinkedIn Profile Tips for High School Students, students can showcase their talents, abilities and high school resume in a profile and make connections with college admissions. You can also include your LinkedIn URL in application materials.
Few teenagers use Facebook any longer; but students who have accounts can connect with a college using this medium. Colleges often host “live” information and Q&A sessions to connect with prospective students. You may be able to connect directly with an admissions officer during these live chats.
Most colleges now have their own Instagram accounts and post regularly. You can follow Instagram stories from the colleges and interact as live feeds are posted or comment on each of the stories. Colleges use these stories to connect with current students and to recruit interested students. When your profile appears in the comments, it demonstrates to the college you are interested.
Responding to tweets is another way you can make a positive impression. Colleges follow their accounts, review any responses to tweets, and create hashtags to communicate with prospective students. You can use your active Twitter account to make a college connection. A word of warning, however: You should keep your account clean because colleges have been known to revoke admission offers based on negative tweets.
It’s no surprise that colleges have jumped on the Pinterest bandwagon, posting pictures of their campuses to attract incoming students. However, collected data from comScore shows that the average 18-to-24 year old college student is not listed at the top of the list of visitors using Pinterest, falling behind the age group of 25-to-34 years. That hasn’t stopped colleges from getting on board and “pinning” everything from student activities to dorm room photos. Students can gather information and find ways to connect with students and staff on campus.
YouTube
Odds are you already spend countless hours on YouTube. Another way to demonstrate interest is to connect via the college’s YouTube account by leaving comments on posted videos. Not only will you be able to view valuable information about the college, you will be demonstrating interest.
TikTok
With its rapid growth, high engagement, and over 60 percent of TikTok’s users under the age of 30, it’s a great social media platform for institutions to leverage to engage with prospective students. Many universities are creating TikTok accounts to create their own content as well as curate content from users who are engaged with their brand. All content is aimed to showcase an authentic and genuine look at the university, student life, and campus culture.
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